Merry Merry Mailswap

Since I was a kid, I've always loved hoarding craft materials (and various paper junk! *lol*) I am not gifted with a long attention span, however. I rarely finish anything I start. ^-^; As a result, I have more stuff than actual work. I promised myself that I'll make a conscious effort to fix my bad habits this 2013. I learned many lessons this year. I don't plan on wasting them. :)



I didn't realize that there are plenty of local crafters & craft bloggers too! Thank you internet. I've devoured their facebook updates & blog feeds the past couple of months. hehe. One of my favorite crafters is Mansy (owner of Hey Kessy), she's an amazingly creative person. Her blog is filled with mostly photos but they speak loudly of her creative life. I especially love her blue room! *lol* I wish I had a bigger room too. ( T^T )

She hosts handmade mail swaps which is an awesome way to hoard more craft materials and try different projects. Plus you gain more friends! So I decided to join the Christmas mail swap. I hesitated at first because of lack of confidence in my work. I'm more of a closet crafter really. Partly because none of my works are spectacular or very original. Lately though, I'm starting to care less what other people will say about what I do. It's never about them anyway. I create because I want to. :)

Happy Holidays!

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred,
and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit,
become a child again at Christmas-time.”

Merry Christmas &
Happy New Year!

Sending holiday greetings to all my blogger friends and readers! Eat & laugh lots. (^-^)/

Desire for movement

So guess what! I'm 5 kg less than last month. (^_^)v It's regrettable that I had to experience something horrible first before I finally force myself out of my sedentary lifestyle. Looking fit and being healthy are no longer "goals" I meant to complete off a list. This will be my life. This is my commitment to myself, "I love you and I'll take care of you."

I didn't think it was a problem for people to perceive me as weak or helpless because I don't want to have to defend myself. Do I even have to? Think whatever you want! I do admit that I struggle with a lot of things in my life, I have a lot of excess baggage, so many "feelings" and "realizations" that I can't get rid no matter how many times I get advice about it. But you know, I'm still alive despite carrying all that. My kind of strength isn't loud. I endure anything. And when I have to, I'm superwoman!

Sometimes though you have to correct other people's perception of you because it might cloud everything else that you're doing right. I wouldn't wish what I went through for any woman but every crisis has a silver lining. It felt like waking up from a deep slumber. It makes you focus on what needs to be fixed. It makes you realize what's important. My advice is to never doubt yourself. You are strong and wise. Act and talk with dignity. You will know what to do (I know right now you think you don't know what to do, the right thing will come to you when it's time). Pray for courage always. And lastly, choose to be happy. :)

Anyway...back to my weight. I still have a long way to go. I started running/jogging, going to the gym and swimming. My muscles are screaming for me to stop *lol* I need to pace it slowly. I really want to complete 1 continues lap around the UP oval but I can't seem to get past 3/4. I feel like dying after every run but I recently found out that it burns so little calories :/ Swimming burns more. *sigh* Oh well....

Slow and steady.

As for my diet, I joined MFP. I try to eat closer or a little over 1200 calories. I eat food that make me feel fuller. So I don't feel hungry despite the sudden increase in physical activity. I'm still planning my long-term diet. I love food and I don't want to have to completely avoid them for the rest of my life. So I'm trying to come up with an efficient system.

Slow and steady.

Road to healing

“And, when you can't go back, you have to worry only about the best way of moving forward.”

― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

This past 4 weeks have stretched me to my limits. My comfortable world shattered but it didn't break me. I remained true to myself. I opened my heart to understand everything because it's the only way I can truly accept and get past them. I decided on understanding instead of anger and hate. I discovered that I am stronger than I thought I am. That I can make decisions I never knew I could.

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

To my online friends who have read my diary, thank you for supporting me. Your words meant so much to me because it made me feel that I'm not alone.

I learned that love and decisions go hand in hand. There are no guarantees in this world because we cannot dictate the actions of other people. We can only look within ourselves and decide when to fight and when to walk away. Whatever choice you make, you must always decide to be happy with that choice however difficult or painful it may be. Whatever happens, love yourself first. Become whole on your own.

"Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

BIGBANG Alive Galaxy tour in Manila fanaccount

Long time no post. I'm actually going through a very difficult time now. I wasn't going to come back here for a while but I have responsibilities. I should at least post this one. :)

Last week, October 24, was BIGBANG Alive tour in Manila. Despite what's happening in my life now, I'm happy that I had BIGBANG to ease the pain somehow. I also felt blessed still, who would have known I'd win rehearsal tickets thanks to Nuffnang and Samsung. I don't have any luck in contests so I really think God gave this to me to show me that there's hope. I really want to thank Nuffnang and Samsung and give them all the love but this all I can think of doing.

I wasn't able to take a lot of pictures because there were so many people! There were only 2 booths (Samsung & Jeju Air) but I didn't have time to go to both :( I didn't get the freebies too. *cry* I got there around 1 pm. It was already packed! I bought a BIGBANG lightstick, ate lunch and met with the Nuffnang representative. We got in line for the rehearsals at 3pm but we didn't get inside until around 4pm.





My Rehearsal pass!!!



More photos under the cut:

Instagram photodiary #1

Hello! Since I've switched to using my iPad camera over my phone, I have also been hanging out on instagram. Mostly just looking at photos and leaving comments.



i. showing off my origami crane mobile.
ii. Origami using left-over bits from my Map bunting.



i. Spent my birthday alone because friends, bf & family were busy. And I wanted to try it out again. I used to be ok with spending it alone but as the years passed by, I think I've grown dependent on other people's company. I probably have less than 15 people I interact with in real life. Yet I still feel like withdrawing from them sometimes.

"If you're happy in your head, then solitude is blessed and alone is ok."

ii. Getting my VIP crown headband ready for BIGBANG Alive tour.



i. Playing with maps.
ii. My supposed craft goals. #lazycrafter



i. Finally unwrapped this paper set I bought 2 years ago. #paperlove #paperhoarder
ii. Pulled these out from a dead tree inside our complex. My neighbors were amused. ( >.<)

add me on instagram "heyladyspring"

Craft space

I'm using this small corner beside the bed as my new craft/ing space. I figured I needed a proper place to work. My bed = sleep = laziness. This chest has wheels so if I need to work on something I just pull it to my little hallway. It's the only space left in my Thumbelina sized bedroom (oh! hello laundry area~ haha). Also the only part with enough natural light. *sigh* Times like this makes me wish we had a balcony. :(

Until we get a bigger house, I'll have to make do with what I have. Until then, I'm saving up photos of other people's craft spaces. I'll post them here soon! :)

Crafty Friday: BIGBANG VIP crown headband

Day 12 until BIGBANG Alive tour in Manila. *shaking* ♫♬♪ (ﾉﾟοﾟ)ﾉ∵*゜★

What you'll need:
-Headband
-Scissors
-Mighty bond glue (or anything stronger than craft glue)
-Yellow crown material

• felt cloth
• rubberized foam
• poster paper/board, cartolina
• illustration board (usually a set with other colors)
• any material hard enough so it will stay upright

Went at it the wrong way *lol* I made a pattern out of bond paper then realized it's too flimsy so I pasted it to a board. If you're happy with your crown's shape, cut and trace to the crown material.



Trace the curve of the headband. Cut the curve so the crown will fit perfectly. Don't forget to slightly mark the points where you'll stick the crown. Apply glue, find your mark, and attach the crown to the headband.

Voila!



Other things you can do to customize your BIGBANG VIP crown:

• Take out a black marker and write your favorite member's name.
• or Trace out BIGBANG's "B" logo
• If you have rhinestones or crystal beads, attach it to the corners.

Rule of re-blogging or re-posting of photos/tutorial: Share away but please link to this tutorial.

The Moth podcast

I found this podcast shared by one of my friends on twitter. But I forgot who it was sorry I can't credit you at the moment. （￣◇￣)ゞ

I think it's because I watch videos all the time, I miss just listening to someone talk. I love that this podcast celebrates the art of simple but powerful everyday stories. Some stories are funny, some are meant to inspire, while some will make you cry.

The Moth is an acclaimed not-for-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling.

Here are some of my favorites from the filmed series of The Moth.

▲ After landing her dream job in Paris, Joan Juliet Buck, the new editor of French Vogue, is haunted in her dream apartment.

Joan Juliet Buck is an American born writer, social critic, and performer, who also edited Paris VOGUE for seven years. She has also appeared in several films and documentaries, and is the co-founder of wowowow, a daily internet website created for "fabulous women of substance."

There are more behind the cut and also from iTunes (you can download those on the links below *scroll* *scroll* )

Samsung Makes BIG BANG ALIVE

Wow! It's cliché but it really feels like a dream. I have been a BIGBANG fan for almost 4 years now. I even planned to travel to South Korea at least once to attend one of their concerts because who knew that they will someday be coming here in the Philippines?! Thank you Hallyu wave and to the boys' hard work. Thank you for crossing the sea for me!- *ehem* - I mean your Filipino fans. *laughs*

Seeing photos from the Singapore leg of the tour, it finally hit me that in 3 weeks I will see them perform songs I have only watched on my computer (a billion times). My 1TB BIGBANG hard drive is super happy for me right now. Thank you for serving me well. *clap clap* I'm finally going to see them sing live!!!

Also, thank you to Samsung for making BIGBANG world tour happen. I think it's amazing that BIGBANG's tour concept (humans frozen in time) matched well with Samsung Galaxy SIII. Good call Samsung! BIGBANG is the perfect endorser for your phones! (And CNBLUE endorses Galaxy Note! #fandomcollide)

Check out Samsung's facebook page, they're giving away tickets to the concert and a limited edition BIGBANG Samsung Galaxy SIII back cover. Get it Get it Get it!

If I were to choose which Samsung Galaxy SIII color fits each member, I would choose:

Pebble Blue for BIGBANG

Like the color blue, BIGBANG is a well liked group by both men and women of various age groups. When G-Dragon's song "That XX" received a Perfect All-Kill despite tagging it a 19+ only song. They have proved that they not only have dedicated fans (called VIP's) but also casual listeners as well.

(Royal) Blue can also represent importance or richness. Just look at the fanclub name! We're called VIP's and we follow Kpop royalty. *Yeah!* They've reached the status where they don't have to guest in various variety programs to maintain popularity; attend music shows to win awards; or promote to achieve overwhelming album sales.


Marble White for Taeyang

I pray that Taeyang do not find this post. *haha* Compared to the other members he seem to be the most innocent. It is a well-known fact that he has never been in a relationship. I guess he's just not the type to jump into one just because he likes a girl. He also doesn't have an extreme lifestyle associated with musicians. He doesn't smoke, rarely drinks or goes clubbing. He prefers to stay in the recording studio, go to church or skateboard. However, he’s not naive nor saint-like. He just lives a “good” life. He has only single-mindlessly worked on his craft for years.

G-Dragon described him as the carrot in the group (i.e. carrot & stick) because he would comfort the other members after GD scolds them.


Amber Brown for Daesung

If I have to choose between the members, then maybe I have a little more fondness towards Daesung. Despite his funny image, he is actually very shy. He has a kind and gentle nature. I don't think I've ever seen him angry but as GD said he smiles even when he's angry. This smile that never fades from his face is what pulls people in. Though it's often noted that he doesn't have an idol face, that doesn't stop him from being the most popular member.

He is someone who does his best so he wouldn’t cause trouble to anyone.

Sadly, last year he went through a very difficult time. It was one of those scenarios that seem to come out only in the movies. It's very heartbreaking when bad things happen to good people. I'm happy that he can smile and live his life again. Fighting!


Garnet Red for G-Dragon

If I want a stand-out gadget, I almost always choose one in Red. It looks expensive and 10x cooler.

I'm pretty sure every VIP will associate the color red with GD. It means strength and power. Wear a color red and you instantly stand out in the crowd which is pretty much what GD has become for South Korea. One of A Kind whether it be about his ideas, music, fashion or lifestyle. Though I think it's taking them a while to understand him. As the saying goes, a nail that sticks out gets hammered pretty badly. He says he knows what they say about him and has learned ways to deal with it.

He has given life to BIGBANG, leading it to where it is now. He burns people’s expectations. He can be overwhelming but that’s the nature of fire. You can try to tame it, it’ll go where it wants to go. Pour water on it and all that will be left is darkness.


Titanium Grey for Seungri

I have a love affair with this color. I use it all the time when I'm designing websites. Most of my clothes are various shades of grey. I used to pick out grey gadgets too but it became a popular color among my friends so I'm sticking with red or black.

It is often considered a gloomy color. If asked "what's your favorite color", it's not a very popular choice. Kinda like Seungri. He's a bit different. Very few people see his good points. I get annoyed with him sometimes too because he can be very willful and overconfident. Which is why I think he needs the other members to hold him back a bit. In the end, I remember why he is the way that he is. I remember that he’s not perfect, will make a lot of mistakes (just like me and every person on the planet), will learn from those mistakes, and will continue living his life. Besides, that confidence is also his strong point. Among the members, he's the one who has a lot of optimism and a thick shell for controversy and criticism.


Sapphire Black for T.O.P

There's no other word to describe him except, he's slick cool! Like a model walking out of a magazine.

G-Dragon and T.O.P are alike in many ways. They both share a love for fashion and hiphop music. While GD is fiery and explosive, T.O.P is calm and mysterious. He’s someone who thinks deeply about various things. Out of all the members he's the funniest, emotional, cerebral and secretive. He has often mentioned on interviews that the T.O.P that perform on stage is a character he portrays. He (nor the other members) rarely talk about his personal life. If you read his interviews and rap lyrics, you’ll get an insight on the things he values the most—his music, his character, and his privacy.

Forever VIP ♛

Crafty Friday: Map bunting

The feeling of wanderlust has not quite left me yet. I often find myself daydreaming about my future travels. *too excited?! lol* I hope they won't end up as just dreams.



I carefully cut out the countries I want to visit. Hoping that seeing them often will motivate me to work harder. I can't wait for the day this would mean something else. Fighting fighting ya ya ya ya! ♪( ﾉ^-^)ﾉ☆彡

Thank you!

Hello! How is everyone? This is me >now. Just chillin. I'm on hiatus so there won't be much posts here for a while. I'm on twitter and instagram (@heyladyspring) sometimes. :)

I'm resurfacing because I want to thank Dilettante single mom, yobabsy and My Baby my Star for these awards. And sorry for posting this so late （￣◇￣)ゞ. Since the two awards have different rules; to the blogs I'm tagging please check the links above for the rules. I'm not going to list them here anymore. Also, to shorten this post I'm only posting answers for the Liebster award. Thank you again for choosing my blog :)

I'm tagging these blogs for Liebster Award:

1. Running Vibrant
2. iHeart Good Health
3. Toned down and Vintage
4. Random x Thoughts
5. Before I turn 25
6. In Love with Sunflower
7. Where the Moon Shines

I'm tagging these blogs for Versatile Blogger:

1. Little Forest Girl
2. Zooming Japan
3. Say Hey Ayla
4. The Four-eyed Wonder
5. Quiet Girl
6. Nothing Spaces
7. Chasing Dreams
8. Island girl traveler
9. Between Coordinates 
10. Mansilliana Sunday
11. Bored and Crafty
12. Tigerlily and Free
13. The Purple Doll
14. Dekaphobe

Crafty Friday: Origami crane mobile

This is actually the first time I'm doing origami. When I was in high school, my classmates used to fold hearts for Valentine's day. During class, they mindlessly make multicolored lucky stars and put them on small jars. However, I didn't find them interesting enough. When I got hooked into Japanese dramas, I saw an image of a crane made with beautiful Japanese paper. So it was fate that my favorite origami pattern became the paper crane. Lucky for me it's one of the easiest to make. Also, it carries an inspiring story which makes it all the more meaningful for anyone who want to try it out.

It's going to be tl;dr at this point. So if you want to see the tutorial and scroll past the history lesson, click here.

Have you heard of the legend of a thousand paper cranes? It says that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. It became relevant in modern Japanese culture because of a girl named Sadako Sasaki. She became sick with leukemia from exposure to radiation during WWII. Upon hearing the legend from her Mom, she decided to fold a thousand paper cranes to pray for healing. She worked on more than 1000 cranes because her wish wasn't granted. She died still working on them.

Thousands of colorful origami cranes—sent from around the world—decorates a park in Hiroshima today. In it a statue of a girl holding a large origami crane stands tall, known as the Children's Peace Monument, as a cry for peace and reminder of the sad consequences of war.

Life recently... #25

The last two weeks had not been productive. My sleeping pattern is messed up so I sleep or zone out at odd hours. And I'm glued to the computer again, watching marathons of We Got Married videos I downloaded recently. Why I'm obsessing about fake virtual married couples has no explanation except that they're just so entertaining to watch! ♪( ^-^)/

I better snap back to reality soon because this blog is running out of queued posts! *laughs* And I need to finish my reading list this month and start on another craft project. Fighting fighting ya ya ya (｡◕‿‿◕｡)ﾉシ



one. Went on a shopping frenzy again. *lol*



two. a new craft obsession. Origami paper cranes!

Now and Then

Now and Then is a 1995 coming of age film about 4 girls spending a typical summer in their peaceful town. In between saving money for a tree house, understanding boys, and dealing with family problems. They find a cracked tombstone of a boy called "Dear Johnny" while sneaking inside the local cemetery. Believing they disturbed his spirit they vowed to find out what happened to him.

Soon they realize that their small town and everything they had come to know is suddenly not as perfect as they thought. They learn that there are no normal families. That there is more to a person than what we see on the surface. And pain, suffering & violence existed.

"We all used to try so hard to fit in. We wanted to look exactly alike, do all the same things, practically be the same person, but when we weren't looking that all changed. The tree house was supposed to bring us more independence, but what the summer actually brought was independence from each other."

If I had a balcony

Sometimes, I wonder what would life have been like if we decided on a unit with balcony. Never mind that we live on a 40+ story building and we're on the 3rd highest floor! *haha* It would have been perfect for cloud watching or stargazing. Or a (not so) secret place for reading and drinking coffee. How about a mini garden? I could grow tomatoes and herbs!

But the real selling point is having a proper place to dry my laundry. Oh and hopefully more natural light inside my house.

BC Bloggers Meme: 5 Inspirational Quotes I live by

It's official. I'm addicted to blog meme's!!! BC Bloggers has one every week and I want to join all of them but I got to blog about other stuff too! *laughs*

Rochelle of Running Vibrant is hosting this week's topic "5 inspirational Quotes you live by". I love her blog. I'm probably the most excited when she announced she's going on an exchange program to Korea. HOW AWESOME IS THIS?!

Anyhow, on to this post. *lol got sidetracked sorry* I'm only listing 4 quotes although I like many and spam my SNS accounts with them. I am quick to fall in love with words. That's really why I read a lot. But I'm surprised myself, it turns out these 4 are the ones I believe in the most.

From "How to be Alone" poem by Tanya Davis.

See full poem here: heyladyspring tumblr

See full quote here: heyladyspring tumblr

See full quote here: Andy Warhol

I post my other favorite quotes on tumblr. Please check them out :)

[Read my previous posts: Things that make me happy / 5 Money saving tips] Join our blog community and meet awesome people!

Photos and edits © heyladyspring / Please include link of my site when re-posting!

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